Hand to hand.

Several weeks ago I purchased a basket full of porcelian body parts used in doll making.  The heads rolled out of the store (pun intended) but the hands and feet...not so much. I mentioned this to my honey and he immediately says, "Why don't you make necklaces out of the hands?"  Dohhh!   Face plant into my palm...yup, why don't I make necklaces out of the hands.  Both of my hands caress my honey's cheeks and I plant a kiss...thank you baby...that is a great idea. 

The hand is perhaps the oldest of all graphic symbols.  It holds power and the magic of touch in many cultures.  Your hands are the way you relate to the world: how you reach out to others and how others return your touch; what you use to do work; and often, they are the instruments through which your creativity flows to create music, art, or poetry.   Milagros: A Book of Miracles by Helen Thompson, shares that Milagros, traditional Mexican talismans, symbolize that our hands are essential to making a living, without our hands a craftsman can't make his crafts, an artist can't create, a laborer can't work, and a factory employee can't produce. Milagros of the hand are common in societies where the well-being of families depends on physical labor, and in our own highly technological one, hands provide the means for survival, both physical and spiritual. Hands are the connection to others that gives us our humanity, and may be why phrases like 'lending a hand' evoke a sense of the importance of giving something of yourself.

 So, take a little decorative 20 gauge wire and a few porcelain hands.

Add some hand dyed, vintage rayon ribbon (purchased at Queen of Hearts, Buford)

Embellish with interesting beads, stones and metals. 

And you have a steampunk-talisman necklace.

It was difficult not to keep adding items to these, but I wanted them to remain simple in their look and execution.  The wearer may add additional "charms" to them if it calls to them.    Will be putting these in my booth this weekend.  Blessings to you and those you love.  Sea Witch